Oil burner



F. M. OWEN Feb. 13, 1945.

OIL BURNER 2" Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 10, 1944 j/M/r F. M. OWEN OIL BURNER Feb. 13, 1945.

Filed Jan. 10, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 13, 1945 2,369,367 OIL BURNER 1 Frank M. Owen, Houston, flex.

ApplicationrJanuary 10, 1944, Serial No. 517,738 3 Claims. (01.158-16) I My invention relates to apparatus for feeding liquid to aboiler fire-box or other combustion chamber. i x

One important object of the invention is to provide a burner for liquid fuel which will obtain maximum efficiency in fuel combustionand a minimum loss of heatin units.

Another object is to provide a burner apparatus which will create a forced draft for mixing air with the fuel in a mixing chamber, not only for the purpose of obtaining'proper combustion when the mixture is ignited, but also for the purpose of carrying from thecombustion chamber all excess or un-consumed gases and oxygen;

In carrying out my invention, as a whole, the following elements are included: a tubular mixing chamber having its exhaust end presented" to a combustion chamber; a fuel atomizer therein for projecting fuel toward the exhaust end of the mixing chamber; ablower fan behind the atomizer and pointedin alike direction; control means for regulating the volume and pressure at the atomizer; and, means for controlling the speed at which thefan isrotated.

One object of the invention is therefore to provide a blower-type burner whichi's minutelyad justable as to fuel volume and fuel pressure, as

well as to air volume and force.

In a burner of the present type, there isa region of low pressure or partialvacuum extending forwardly from the impellerfan and located in axial alignment with the rotative axis thereof. Thisregion of partial vacuum elongates as the speed of the fan increases, and my experiments have shown that proper atomization of the liquid fuel is practically impossible, if the atomizer tip is located within the low pressureregion of partial vacuum.

It is therefore an important object of the present invention to provide an obstruction within the region or space of partial vacuum to decrease its extent, andto locate the atomizer tip or tips in such a position or positions that the low pressure region does not effect atomization of the fuel. i i Another object is to provide a burner of the present class which is so designed that its movlines. i

mechanism so designed that the fuel injecting and atomizing elements may be easily andquickly removed as a single unit, without disconnection of the mixing chamber or other elements from the One further object is to provide a blower-type fuel burner in which the fan and its power plant may be easily andquickly removed from the mixing chambr without disconnecting its atomizing element.

Other objects are: to provide a device of the class described which is economical to manufacture; simple to install; which will be durable; and, which will be eflicient in accomplishing all of the objects for which it is intended.

With these and other objects in View as will more fully appear, one embodiment of the in-, vention is illustrated in the accompanying twosheet drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view, partially in section, and takensubstantially along the line l-l of Figure 2;

Figure 2 is an end elevational view looking from the left hand end of Figure 1;

Figure 3 man elevational sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Figure 1; and,

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view of a preferred form of plumbing arrangement for steam and fuel Like characters of reference parts in all of the figures.

In the drawings:

The referencenumeral l indicate as a whole; a hollow cylindrical or tubular body preferably constructed of metal pipe and having a suitable anchoring means 2 intermediate its ends, which ing parts are notdamaged by heat from the com=- bustion chamber.

Yet another object is to provide a blower-type burner so designed that its fan or air impeller, may be easily and quickly removed for replacementor repairs without disconnection or removal of theother apparatus from the fire-box. fJAistill further objectis to provide a burner may consist of an outstanding annular flange or rib asshownp The body I may be operatively end I of the body I, and connected to the body by bolts 8 are base brackets 9 of a usual power unit 10, which is preferably in the form of a steam driven turbine. As illustrated, the turbine l0 has fiittings ll forthe purpose of lubrication, has a steam inlet pipe line I 2 for the purpose of power, and has a suitable exhaust l3. The

, turbine ID has a driven shaft M co-axial with the body I andextending toward the exhaust end 3 thereof, and keyed or otherwise rigidly mounted upon the shaft I 4 is an impeller fan l5 substantiallyfilling the cross sectional areabore of the designate the like i body I. The blades of the fan l are pitched to force air toward the end 3 of the body I when the turbine is in operation. A suitable wire-cloth screen 16 is mounted on the fan end of the turbine l0.by bolts I1 and acts to exclude foreign objects from the body 1.

It is obvious that disconnection of the bolts 8 will permit removal of the complete turbine, fan and screen as a single unit from the body I.

As a means for delivering steam to the pipe [2, there is provided a supply line 18 entering a pipe T I9 and a control valve 20. It is obvious that atomized fuel in the front portion of the body operation of the valve will control the speed 3 of rotation of the turbine and the fan I 5, and

that through this speed control, the amount and speed of air delivered through the body I con I at a comparatively high velocity. This body portion is in elfect a mixing chamber, and the mixture thus attained is emitted from the end 3 of the body I into the fire-box or combustion chamber, not shown. This mixture of airand steam-atomized fuel is, of course, ignited in the fire-box, and by proper manipulation of the control valves 20, and 36, a flame can be obtained having'almost perfect combustion eificiency.

In dotted lines in Figures 1 and 3 the normal low pressure or partial Vacuum region orspace in the body I is indicated by the reference numerals 40. By the word normal as used above, is meant the low pressure or partial vacuum region which would occur with fan l'5rotating at around three thousand to thirty-six hundred revolutions per minute, and with no obstruction being placed in by removal of a nut 22 which holds the fan on ing into the partial vacuum region. Inthe present instance, however, provision of the laterally extending nipples 28- a has taken the atomizer tips out of the partial vacuum region. Further, by locating the pipe T 28 in alignment with the fan shaft M, the normal partial vacuum region has been disturbed, and the air travel at the vortex'of the .air stream is sufficiently diffused by which receives an inwardly projecting nipple 26 1 and an outwardly extending nipple 21. The inner end of thenipple 26 is located approximately at the axial center of the body l and receives a pipe T 28 having horizontal legs extending transversely of the body I. The T 28 is located in alignment with the longitudinal aXis of the shaft l4 for'a purpose more fully described hereinbelow. Each horizontal leg of the pipe T28 has a short nipple 28a which is connected through an elbow with a suitable spray nozzle or atomizer 29 which projects forwardly or toward the exhaust' end 3 of the body I, and which is adapted to emit at itsv free, end, atomized fueltoward said end 3. as is more fully described hereinbelow.

For delivering liquid fuel to the pipe T 28 and consequently to the two atomizers 2-9, the nipple 2'! is connected with a, fuel supplypipe 30 through an elbow 3!, a nipple 32, and a pipe T 33. One leg of the T 33 is connected to a pipe 34 leading through a control valve 315 from the pipe T I9 of the steam supply line The fuel pipe 30 is of course equipped with a control valve 36 for regulating the fuel flow into the T 33.

With this plumbing arrangement, the valve 35 maybe cracked to supply steam to the T 33 which is also receiving fuel fromthe pipe 30, and therefore both steam and liquid fuel are delivered to the atomizers 29. Through manipulation of the valves 35 and 33, the pressure and volume of the fuel at the nozzles .can be accurately regulated. It to be understood, of course, that in order to prevent the steam pressure in the T 33 from backing the fuel into the line 30, the fuel carried in the pipe 30 must be at a greater pressure than that of the steam in the pipe 34, or a suitable injector, not shown, must be providedat the limetion of the pipes 30 and 34.

With the nozzles 29 emitting properly atomized fuel intothe body I, and. with the fan 15 rotatling at a controlled speed of ap'proximately 3000 P. M., theair blast of the fan l5 meets the the pipe T 28and nipples 28-0 that the normal low pressure or partial vacuum region is materially shortened. Atomization is therefore. not

effected by the vacuum region present in the .body I. I

stalled upon a usual boiler, the smoke-stack capacity normally required with usual burners 1 From the foregoing. be apparent that all-objects previously set forth may be materially decreaseddueto the fact that the impeller fan assists in carrying or drivingoff unburned gases from the combustion chamber of theboiler. l v

It may also'be seen that the fan and the front fan shaft bearing of the turbine are protected from being over heated. from theheatin-the firebox, because of the factthat cool air is constantly being drawn into the intake end 1 of the body I, and its ejection toward the exhaust end 3 prevents heat from the fire-box from reachin the fan or turbine.

description it is believed to hereinabove are attainable by the apparatus disclosed.

possibly be delivered by an 1. In a burner mechanism for liquid fuel the combinationof: a substantially cylindrical mixing chamber having an-intake end and a discharge end, the wall of said chamberhaving :a trans- :versely extending elongated opening;'. a? turbine removably mounted adjacent the intakeend of said chamber; an axial-flow type fan driven by l front of, adjacent, and in substantial alignment with the fan axis, said fan being of such diameter and length that it is removable through said transverse chamber opening; a closure for said transverse chamber opening; an atomizer for said fuel, said atomizer being attached to and movable with the closure, andlocated in said air stream in front of the fan and directed toward the discharge end of said chamber when the closure is in its closing position; and means carried by said closure and located between the fan axis and the atomizer for deflecting said air stream to prevent formation of said normal vacuum region.

2. In a burner mechanism for liquid fuel, the b combination of a straight tubular cylindrical mixing chamber of unrestricted cross-sectional area and having fully open intake and discharge ends; an axial-flow type fan within and substantially filling the transverse area of the chamber, said fan being adapted to create an anti-cyclonic air stream within the chamber, the velocity of said stream being suflicient to create a low pressure region oflmuch less diameter than said chamber within the chamber in front of and M jacent the fan, and in alignment with its rotative axis; and an atomizer for liquid fuel in the chamher in front of the fan and directed toward said discharge end, said atomizer being located eccentrically in the chamber transversely outside of said low pressure region, and nearerto the fan than is the outer end of said low pressure area.

3. Ina burner mechanism for liquid fuel, the

combination of: a straight tubular cylindrical mixing chamber of unrestricted cross-sectional area and having fully open intake and discharge ends: an axial-flow type fan within and substantially filling the transverse area of the chamber, said fan being adapted to create an anti-cyclonic air stream within the chamber, the velocity of said stream being suflicient to create alow pressure region of much less diameter than said chamber within th chamber in front of and adjacent the fan, and in alignment with its rotative axis; and anatomizer for liquid fuel in the chamber in front of the fan and directed toward said discharge end, said atomizer being located *eccena tricallywith relation to the rotative axis of the fan and transversely outside of said low pressure end of said low pressure area.

FRANK M. OWEN. l 

